UN Ambassador: Condemn the Rocket Fire on Ashkelon

Israel's ambassador to the UN sends urgent letter to the Security Council following a rocket attack on Ashkelon.

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Elad Benari, 27/02/13 04:44

Ashkelon

Israel news photo: Flash 90

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, sent an urgent letter to the UN Security Council and to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday night, following the firing of rockets at the city of Ashkelon on Tuesday morning.

"Israel considers Hamas as being responsible for all attacks coming from Gaza,” Prosor wrote. "No country would allow to play Russian roulette with the lives of its citizens. You must condemn this blatant violation of the ceasefire, which could lead to escalation.”

On Tuesday morning, for the first time since the Pillar of Defense counter-terror operation in late 2012, Gaza terrorists fired rockets on southern Israel.

One rocket hit the city of Ashkelon, but did not cause injury. A second rocket apparently hit an open field near the city.

Residents said they had no warning of the impending strike.

The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which is affiliated with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah movement, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The rocket fired was an upgraded M-75.

The attack was apparently a show of support for rioters in Judea and Samaria. Several riots broke out in recent days over the death of a terrorist imprisoned in Israel. The PA has accused Israel of murdering the 30-year-old man, who died of a heart attack.